Maximum occlusal force and medial mandibular flexure in relation to vertical facial pattern: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Vertical facial pattern may be related to the direction of pull of the masticatory muscles, yet its effect on occlusal force and elastic deformation of the mandible still is unclear. This study tested whether the variation in vertical facial pattern is related to the variation in maximum occlusal force (MOF) and medial mandibular flexure (MMF) in 51 fully-dentate adults. METHODS: Data from cephalometric analysis according to the method of Ricketts were used to divide the subjects into three groups: Dolichofacial (n = 6), Mesofacial (n = 10) and Brachyfacial (n = 35). Bilateral MOF was measured using a cross-arch force transducer placed in the first molar region. For MMF, impressions of the mandibular occlusal surface were made in rest (R) and in maximum opening (O) positions. The impressions were scanned, and reference points were selected on the occlusal surface of the contralateral first molars. MMF was calculated by subtracting the intermolar distance in O from the intermolar distance in R. Data were analysed by ANCOVA (fixed factors: facial pattern, sex; covariate: body mass index (BMI); alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: No significant difference of MOF or MMF was found among the three facial patterns (P = 0.62 and P = 0.72, respectively). BMI was not a significant covariate for MOF or MMF (P > 0.05). Sex was a significant factor only for MOF (P = 0.007); males had higher MOF values than females. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MOF and MMF did not vary as a function of vertical facial pattern in this Brazilian sample

Probing the reciprocal lattice associated with a triangular slit to determine the orbital angular momentum for a photon

The orbital angular momentum conservation of light reveals different diffraction patterns univocally dependent on the topological charge of the incident light beam when passing through a triangular aperture. It is demonstrated that these patterns, which are accessed by observing the far-field measurement of the diffracted light, can also be obtained using few photon sources. In order to explain the observed patterns, we introduce an analogy of this optical phenomenon with the study of diffraction for the characterization of the crystal structure of solids. We demonstrate that the finite pattern can be associated with the reciprocal lattice obtained from the direct lattice generated by the primitive vectors composing any two of the sides of the equilateral triangular slit responsible for the diffraction. Using the relation that exists between the direct and reciprocal lattices, we provide a conclusive explanation as to why the diffraction pattern of the main maxima is finite. This can shed a new light on the investigation of crystallographic systems

Biochar: pyrogenic carbon for agricultural use: a critical review.

O biocarvão (biomassa carbonizada para uso agrícola) tem sido usado como condicionador do solo em todo o mundo, e essa tecnologia é de especial interesse para o Brasil, uma vez que tanto a ?inspiração?, que veio das Terras Pretas de Índios da Amazônia, como o fato de o Brasil ser o maior produtor mundial de carvão vegetal, com a geração de importante quantidade de resíduos na forma de finos de carvão e diversas biomassas residuais, principalmente da agroindústria, como bagaço de cana, resíduos das indústrias de madeira, papel e celulose, biocombustíveis, lodo de esgoto etc. Na última década, diversos estudos com biocarvão têm sido realizados e atualmente uma vasta literatura e excelentes revisões estão disponíveis. Objetivou-se aqui não fazer uma revisão bibliográfica exaustiva, mas sim uma revisão crítica para apontar alguns destaques na pesquisa sobre biochar. Para isso, foram selecionados alguns temaschave considerados críticos e relevantes e fez-se um ?condensado? da literatura pertinente, mais para orientar as pesquisas e tendências do que um mero olhar para o passad

Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

Background: Many patients with COVID-19 have been treated with plasma containing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Methods: This randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]) is assessing several possible treatments in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 177 NHS hospitals from across the UK. Eligible and consenting patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either usual care alone (usual care group) or usual care plus high-titre convalescent plasma (convalescent plasma group). The primary outcome was 28-day mortality, analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936. Findings: Between May 28, 2020, and Jan 15, 2021, 11558 (71%) of 16287 patients enrolled in RECOVERY were eligible to receive convalescent plasma and were assigned to either the convalescent plasma group or the usual care group. There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality between the two groups: 1399 (24%) of 5795 patients in the convalescent plasma group and 1408 (24%) of 5763 patients in the usual care group died within 28 days (rate ratio 1·00, 95% CI 0·93–1·07; p=0·95). The 28-day mortality rate ratio was similar in all prespecified subgroups of patients, including in those patients without detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at randomisation. Allocation to convalescent plasma had no significant effect on the proportion of patients discharged from hospital within 28 days (3832 [66%] patients in the convalescent plasma group vs 3822 [66%] patients in the usual care group; rate ratio 0·99, 95% CI 0·94–1·03; p=0·57). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at randomisation, there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients meeting the composite endpoint of progression to invasive mechanical ventilation or death (1568 [29%] of 5493 patients in the convalescent plasma group vs 1568 [29%] of 5448 patients in the usual care group; rate ratio 0·99, 95% CI 0·93–1·05; p=0·79). Interpretation: In patients hospitalised with COVID-19, high-titre convalescent plasma did not improve survival or other prespecified clinical outcomes. Funding: UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and National Institute of Health Research

A Numerical Mode-Matching Method Based on Multiple-Knot Cubic B-Splines Applied to the Analysis of Well-Logging Tools

Abstract The numerical mode-matching (NMM) technique is a very efficient approach to analyze well-logging tools used for hydrocarbon exploration. This problem is typically modeled as a cylindrically layered medium (subterranean formation) including both horizontal and vertical stratifications. In this paper, we present a new NMM formulation based on the use of B-splines expansion functions with variable knot multiplicity to represent the dependency of fields on the vertical direction, and cylindrical Bessel functions to represent the fields along the radial (horizontal) direction. We show that this type of expansion allows to better capture the spatial variation of the electromagnetic field near vertical layer interfaces. Illustrative examples elucidate the advantage of knot multiplicity in the modeling of earth formations with anisotropic and lossy layers. A case study on compensated dual resistivity (CDR) well-logging tool sensors is also presented based on the proposed method

Homeotropic surface anchoring and the layer-thinning transition in free-standing films

In this work, we investigate the interplay between surface anchoring and finite-size effects on the smectic-isotropic transition in free-standing smectic films. Using an extended McMillan model, we study how a homeotropic anchoring stabilizes the smectic order above the bulk transition temperature. In particular, we determine how the transition temperature depends on the surface ordering and film thickness. We identify a characteristic anchoring for which the transition temperature does not depend on the film thickness. For strong surface ordering, we found that the thickness dependence of the transition temperature can be well represented by a power-law relation. The power-law exponent exhibits a weak dependence on the range of film thicknesses, as well as on the molecular alkyl tail length. Our results reproduce the main experimental findings concerning the layer-thinning transitions in free-standing smectic films